Twelve Apostles in art
Common subject in Christian art / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Twelve Apostles are a common subject in Christian art and serve as a devotional tool for many Christian denominations.[1] They were instrumental in teaching the gospel of Jesus, "continuing the mission of Jesus" with their depictions continuing to serve as spiritual inspiration and authority.[2][3] Many Protestant denominations reject religious imagery, including the veneration of the apostles and other religious figures.[4]
Twelve Apostles in art | |
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Apostles | Saint Peter, Saint Andrew, James the Great, John the Apostle, Philip the Apostle, Bartholomew the Apostle, Thomas the Apostle, Matthew the Apostle, James, son of Alphaeus, Saint Jude, Saint Simon, Judas Iscariot |
Single portraits are common, or smaller groups, with the full group mostly seen in narrative scenes from the Life of Christ in art, especially The Last Supper. All the apostles acquired distinctive attributes enabling them to be identified, and the most important, such as Saint Peter and Saint John the Beloved, were given a consistent physical appearance. These, and the Four Evangelists, were the most frequently painted. The Evangelist portrait is a special type, used in luxury illuminated manuscripts to preface each gospel. Others were often included in altarpieces and other works because they were the patron saints of the parish, town or province, or of the donor of the work.
Some apostles had narrative incidents, especially their martyrdoms or calling by Jesus, which were depicted as distinct subjects. The Doubting Thomas is one of the more common.